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The headlights bounced on the pavement as the tow truck lumbered along the country road. It carried three passengers and a broken rental car. All was quiet until Josh broke the silence.
“Thanks for helping me move the rocker back to the porch."
Barry just nodded.
"I guess you haul a lot of cars out of ditches around here,” Josh said, in an effort to fill the silence.
“A fair few, yep." Another long silence followed and then Barry said, "Sorry Miz Sullivan couldn't finish her story.”
“I’m sorry, too. But we couldn’t stay any longer. You could see how tired she was getting. I hope her husband appreciates her waiting up for him like this,” said Maggie, with a little edge in her voice.
“She’s been waiting for him to come home for near twenty years or about that,” Barry replied.
Maggie and Josh were stunned.
“What do you mean? She kept saying he was coming home tonight,” said Maggie.
“She’s been doing that practically every night since the accident, ma’am.”
“What accident?” Maggie turned to Barry.
“Well, you no doubt heard about Brice and how he blamed them for messing with him and how they ruin't his life. He never figured anything was his fault. I was a young man back then. Shoot, everyone round here knew the story."
Barry removed his cap and scratched his head, then put the cap back again. “Travis wanted a hive of his own. Well, Jesse went to Ben’s to pick it up and, don’t you know it, that Brice was right there at the store. He'd done his time and stayed away for years. Don’t know what possessed him to come back. Anyways, Jesse finished loading up his truck and was 'bout to go when Brice stepped up, blocking him. I know all this 'cause I saw it.
“Deidra and me had some ducks back then, and I'd gone to get some cracked corn for 'em. She had me pick up some crushed oyster shells too. You know, duck eggs will have a soft shell if you don’t feed 'em crushed oyster shells? She even had me put in a kiddy pool for them to swim in. I had a lot of duck dinners in my future,” Barry laughed.
“Barry, what about Brice and Jesse?” Josh said.
“Oh yeah," he began again, "Brice was all hopped up. He’d been drinking. He’s strutting around acting all tough and surly. He sees Jesse and stumbles over to him.
"Well, lookie whose here." he says poking his finger at Jesse's chest. But Jesse stands his ground.
"Little early in the morning to be tying one on, isn’t it?"
“Ol’ Brice, he looks at Jesse and spits. He just missed the toe of Jesse’s boot.
"You got a problem with how I enjoy myself, Jesse? Seems you’ve always had a problem with how I live my life; yes sir, for as long as I can remember.”
"I only had a problem with how you living your life affects other people."
"Heard you married that whore of yours?"
“That was the wrong thing to say to Jesse. He hauls off and hits Brice a good one, right on the jaw. 'en just like in the old days, Brice goes down like a ton a bricks. That man could never take a punch. Jesse steps over him, gets in his truck and drives off. I saw Brice stumble to his truck and take off after him. The rest I heard from the police and what the papers said."
Barry scratched his head as if trying to remember.
"What they put together is, Brice got in his truck and went after Jesse and chased him most of the way home. Brice tried to run him off the road. He slammed into the back of Jesse’s, then pulled alongside to force him into a ditch. Jesse's Dodge had gouges and paint on it from Brice's truck.
“Brice caught up with him about a mile from home. He broadsided him. They figured Jesse spun around a couple of times before catching the side of the ditch. He was going so fast he flipped over about eight times and landed in old man Culver’s cow pasture. Jesse was thrown clear, but he didn’t have a chance. By the time they got anyone out there he was gone.”
“Oh, my God,” Maggie had tears in her eyes. Josh sat there stunned.
“I was called to get the truck out of the field. It was a terrible sight,” Barry said.
They had reached an intersection and Barry stopping for a red light.
“What about Brice?” Josh asked.
“He was able to limp home, somehow. His truck was there too. It was pretty beat up, as you can imagine. The police found Brice a few days later holed up in an old barn out by the Desoto Speedway. He was messed up too. He spent a few days in the hospital before they dragged him to jail.”
“How was Mrs. Sullivan when they told her that Jesse was dead?”
“That was the strangest thing. I called Travis and told him first. We wanted to be the ones to tell her before the cops came. She had supper all laid out on the table in the kitchen. Travis went in first and had her to sit down.
“Grandma, I have some bad news for you.” He pulled out a chair sat beside her. “It’s about Grandpa. He’s had an accident with the truck. It’s bad. I’m sorry, Grandma, Grandpa’s dead.”
“Don’t’ be silly, Travis,” Katy got up and walked to the sink. She started washing a cooking pot. Her back to us, she asks, “You two want to stay for supper? We have plenty. Barry you have to bring your Deidra by sometime. She’s such a nice girl.” Then she turned and headed out to the porch to look for Jesse.
“Jesse, are you out there? Supper is getting cold.” The dogs ran around the yard looking for Jesse.
“Miz Sullivan, It’s true. I saw the wreck myself. Jesse had a run in with Brice and ended up crashing in Culver’s cow pasture. He died before help arrived.”
“Thanks for coming round, Barry. Travis, supper is on the table. Are you boys staying or not?”
“Grandma, do you understand what we told you?" Travis took her by the shoulders and looked her straight in her eyes. He could see she wasn’t there.
“Barry, I think she’s in shock. Call Dr. Farrell. Tell him what happened and ask him to come out, please.” Barry went to the phone in the hall and did as he was asked.
Travis could hear me talking to the doctor and tried to get his Grandma to sit down. She wouldn't.
“I'll fix us a nice cup of tea, okay? You get the cups.” She filled the kettle with water. Travis reached in the cupboard and got out three mugs.
“Travis," she said, "We’ll need four cups. I imagine he'll be along soon."
"I left when the doctor came. Miz Sullivan attended the funeral, but had this glazed look. She said to me how strange it was that Jesse missed the funeral.
“Doc Farrell said she'd come around one of these days and to just be patient. But she’s been like that ever since. She’s the sweetest, most generous person I know, but she still believes that Jesse is coming back home."
“Oh, the poor thing, to lose him like that,” Maggie patted her nose with a Kleenex.
“Well, folks, we are just about there,” Barry hit the turn signal, the left green light blinked on.
“There are my parents," said Josh, pointing.
Barry pulled into the lot and put the truck in park. The three climbed down and stretched their legs.
“Well, folks, it was nice to meet you,” Barry extended his hand. Josh thanked him. Maggie grabbed his hand and squeezed it.
“Please. Will you let us know how Mrs. Sullivan is doing once in a while?"
They heard the Beaumonts chattering as they approached.
"It's just that after hearing her story...” Maggie couldn’t go on, but Barry knew what she meant even without the words.
